1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to communications and more particularly to data and multimedia communications within a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As is known, a vehicle (e.g., automobile, truck, bus, an agricultural vehicle, ship, and/or aircraft) includes a vehicle communication network. The complexity of the vehicle communication network varies depending on the number and complexity of electronic devices within the vehicle. For example, advanced vehicles include electronic modules for engine control, transmission control, antilock braking, body control, emissions control, etc. To support the various electronic devices within the vehicle, the automotive industry has generated numerous communication protocols.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a prior art vehicular communication network that illustrates the various bus protocols and the electronic devices that utilize such protocols. The bus protocols include: (1) J1850 and/or OBDII, which are typically used for vehicle diagnostic electronic components; (2) Intellibus, which is typically used for electronic engine control, transmission control or other vehicle systems such as climate control, and it may also be used for drive-by-wire electronic control units (ECU); (3) high-speed controller area network (CAN), which is typically used for braking systems and engine management systems; (4) distributed system interface (DSI) and/or Bosch-Siemens-Temic (BST), which is typically used for safety related electronic devices; (5) byteflight, which is typically used for safety critical electronic device applications; (6) local interconnect network (LIN), which is typically used for intelligent actuators and/or intelligent sensors; (7) low-speed controller area network (CAN) and/or Motorola® interconnect (MI), which are typically used for low-speed electronic devices such as Windows, minors, seats and/or climate control; (8) mobile media link (MML), domestic digital data (D2B), smartwireX, inter-equipment bus (IEBus), and/or media oriented systems transport (MOST), which are typically used to support multimedia electronic devices within a vehicle such as a audio head unit and amplifiers, CD player, a DVD player, a cellular connection, a Bluetooth connection, peripheral computer connections, rear seat entertainment (RSE) units, a radio, digital storage, and/or a GPS navigation system; (9) Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS), which are typically used to support heads up display, instrument panel displays, other digital displays, driver assist digital video cameras, and (10) FlexRay, which may be used for safety critical features and/or by-wire applications.
Not only are the multiple communication networks within the vehicle complex, but they also typically require separate wiring for each group of devices that share common protocol(s). A typical vehicle includes 400 to 600 pounds of wiring, which makes wiring the second heaviest component in a vehicle; the engine is the heaviest. Integrating the multiple vehicle communication networks into fewer networks is desirable not only for reduction in complexity but also to reduce wiring needs. Unfortunately, reduction in wiring and using lower cost wiring makes the vehicular communication network(s) more susceptible to Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI), which adversely affects intra-vehicle communications and vehicle reliability.